The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-24
a BLUE RIDGE ROMANCE.

Law.
In all the South there is no more
romantic region than that beyond the
Blue Ridge mountains, in North Carroll
ma, where the wolf and the Indian vet
play their part, as i'll the days of carly
settlement. In Jackson county vast
tract of land is owned by the Cherokoes,
the 'eastern band" of this once power
full tribe having there their chief estate.
Seated by cozy fire the other night,
III committee room in the capitol,
Senator Elias related IL curious story.
He said that in 1862 stalwart noun
taineer named Hamrick, who UP to that
time had managed to avoid the war and
Its attendant features of volunteering or
being conscripted, brought buxom
wife with him from Swain county into
jackson county, and made his home in
this quiet and lovely cove in the Indian
reservation.
Months passed. The pair were de-
voted. The young wife experienced all
the delights of a thoroughly primitive
existence. But this was not to last
There was regiment of Cherokees in
the service of the State, under the com
mand of old Colonel Thomas One day
an officer of this regiment returned and
found Hamrick in the cove. The latter was
conscripted and hurried to the front
His wife next heard from him in North
ern Virginia. Letters were infrcQuent,
messages seldom came.
In 1864 the wife-to whom Il pair of
twins, boy and a girl, had been born
learned that her husband had disap-
peared; that after his name on the roll
OF his company was only that dreadful
entry, "missing."
In 1865 the war ended, and with its
close came to her the news that her hus-
band had deserted-gono over to the
enemy. Year after year passed. The
| wife kept the vigil of love and wearily
waited for the missing husband, who
never came.
There were WOoers enough, and "the
widow" as she was called in the neigh
borhood talk, had what were there con
sidered good offers. One patient lover
named Bowers, thrice rejected, perse-
vered, and in 1876 won the prize of his
devotion. He brought his effects to his
wlfe's home in the cove.
Ten years more passed and 1886 came.
Not one word Of the long lost first hus-
band had been heard since the returning
soldiers brought news in 1865 of Ham
rlck's desertion. True as the wife's de-
votlon was to her second husband, she
had yet a warm spot in her simple heart
for the first, and in her rude, unculturcd
way she even wove half romance out
OF the great and apparently unending
mystery of his absence.
Ono bright day last summers Il stranger
came to Bowers's home in the cove. The
place was i'll most respects like it was in
1868, for changes in the mountain wilds
are made slowly. Bowers was not at
home. The wife was now a buxom
woman of forty years, far tidicr in ap-
pearance and with much more natural
grace and sprightliness of manner than
| the average woman in that section. The
stranger asked who lived there. He was
told ''the Bowers family" In q hos
pltablc manner he was asked in the
house, where presently came to their
mother two children, one of six, and the
other Of nine years.
AT dinner time the family received two
more addltlons-a young man and young
woman, about twenty three years of age,
exceedingly alike in face and manner.
The stranger asked, "Who are these?"
"They are Hamricks's," was the reply
of the good wife; "my children by my
first husband" People in the noun
tains i'll many cases loved to talll-in
fact, are not infrequently garrulous-
and in half an hour the wife had told
the story of her first marriage and the
deep mystery which had ended it. The
stranger listened attentively, and just as
the story was concluded Bowers came III.
A neighbor came in, and soon learned
the story, too. The wife hustled about, Of
course, excited, but not 7 tears. Ham
rIn nd to1
The neighbors, after the manner of
news to people within reach, and next
very few, had remembrance of Ham
rick; not vivid, but faint for he had
lived in that section but little while, Of
course.
Presently some loquacious neighbor
said to Bowers: "Well, what are YOU
going to do about it?"
"About what?" was the reply
"Why, about that man Hamrick. He's
your wlfe's husband"
This put new face on the matter
Bowers had not thought of it in that
way, neither had the wife. She broke
into tears.
There were dozen people in tho
house. All were listening and looking
with rude curiosity.
The house seemed cramped. Bowers
said "Lot's go outdoors" All went.
No sooner had they arrived i'll the
yard thuu the wifo went 30 Bowers and
threw her arms about him.
At this whatever manliness there was
i'll Hamrick came to the surface and
asserted itself. He said: "I'll tell you
what I'll do, people; l don't want to
make no disturbance and I'll go right
back where L came from"
That was all he said. The crowd half
spoke, half nodded assent to the propo-
sltion and plan in one. Right there,
under the trees, the matter was fixed as
if in court before jury. Hamrick said
he was satisfied, and declared that tins
time he would go "for good" He told
the people, his wife, his children, all
goodbye. Only the wife cried, not
through any sCntimcntality about the
situation, but out of puro emotion and n
desire to do her duty in her own simple
way.
There was, nevertheless, in the situa-
tipn 90 in fIc u,1I,innt nUorvfbiOO fbof